Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo094&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new Clematis plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, red-purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: integrifolia.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo094’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1994 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo094’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has violet blue flowers, while the new variety has red-purple flowers. The male seed parent has violet blue tepals while the new variety has red-purple tepals.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant red-purple flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo094’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 1995. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo094’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 1995. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo094’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo094’. Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings are an open flower and tepals detached showing reproductive flower parts. FIG. 2 shows a flowering branch, bare stem, and leaves. Illustrated plants are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo094’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Marion County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in a field nursery. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Clematis integrifolia’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. are compared to ‘Evipo094’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo094’ ‘Clematis integrifolia’ Flower diameter 50 mm 80 mm Tepal upper Purple-Violet Group Violet 91A surface after N81B opening Tepal count 4 4

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent. The natural flowering period is             generally from May to September.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 31 mm in length. Bud diameter is             12 mm. Bud form: Long campanulate, broad based. Bud color:             Purple Group N79C. Texture: Pubescent.         -   Pedicel.—Surface Texture: Ribbed. Length: 35 to 50 mm in             length with 3 mm diameter. Color: Greyed-Purple Group N187A.             Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Lightly pubescent. Shape: Broad             funnel. Size: 1 mm (h)×3 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group             144A with intonations of Greyed-Purple Group N187A.         -   Peduncles.—Size: 30 to 85 mm long, by 2 mm wide. Color:             Yellow-Green Group 145A and Greyed-Purple Group N187A.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New growth only.             Borne: Singly or in clusters of 3 to 7 per flowering branch.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 50 mm in             diameter and 30 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are             nodding, urceolate. Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality:             Flowers normally remain up to 15 days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: The upper surface is Purple-Violet             Group N81B. The lower surface is Purple-Violet Group N81A             with intonations of Purple Group N79B. Texture: Rugose.             Quantity: Normally 4 tepals. Size: 36 mm in length by 12 mm             wide. Shape: Individual tepal shape is ovate. The tepal apex             is acute. The tepal base is flat. Apex Recurvature: Recurved             strongly. Tepal Cross section: Flat. Margins: Entire. Strong             undulations. Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Pollen: None observed. Anthers: Size: 3             mm in length. Color: Yellow Group 5D. Quantity: On             average, 35. Filaments: Color: Yellow Group 4D. Length:             5 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Pistils: Quantity: On average, 15.             Stigmas: Level in location relative to the length of the             filaments and the height of the anthers. Styles: Color:             Yellow-Green Group 150D. Length: 15 mm.         -   Seed head characteristics.—Seed not observed to date. Size:             The entire seed cluster is 45 mm in height by 40 mm in             diameter. Individual seeds have a plume which is 35 mm long             by 1 mm wide. Color: Greyed-White 156D. Quantity of seed: 80             average. Style Appearance: Plumose, semi-erect. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Upright.         -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 35 to 40 cm in height. Average             spread is 40 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144B             with intonations of Greyed-Red Group 181A. Mature stems are             Greyed-Orange Group 177A. Internodes: On average, 20 cm             between nodes. Length: Normally 12 to 18 cm from the base of             the plant to the flowering portion of the stem. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Texture: Mature stems are ribbed.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Opposite, simple, sessile. Leaf Size: About 75 mm (1)×28 mm             (w). Leaf Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 146A with             intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183B. Juvenile lower             Yellow-Green Group 146A with intonations of Greyed-Purple             Group 183B. Mature upper Yellow-Green Group 146A. Mature             lower Yellow-Green Group 146A. Leaf texture: Upper surface             is smooth, lower surface is rugose. Stipules: Absent.             Petioles: None. Leaflet Shape: Elliptic. The base is acute             and the apex is acute. Margin: Entire. Thickness: Moderate.             Glossiness: Glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt, Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis             known to the inventors.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo094’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant red-purple flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 